Chris Cornell Talks New Soundgarden Album

Soundgarden fans rejoice: The reunited alt-rock vets are gearing up to start work on their first album in 15 years -- and now we have details directly from singer Chris Cornell!

"We start recording in about a week in Seattle," the singer tells SPIN. Cornell also confirms that Adam Kasper, who worked on Soundgarden's last album, 1996's Down on the Upside, will produce.

The quartet -- Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, drummer Matt Cameron, and bassist Ben Shepherd -- plan to spend as long as necessary to "make an album that we all really love," says Cornell. "We don't have a schedule," he adds. "It's not like we are going to go into the studio and come out when we're finished with an album."

"We're putting the music first," Cornell explains. "The process of writing, recording, and being creative together is the most important thing, not meeting a deadline."

Cornell explains that the band's sessions will be interrupted by his solo acoustic tour this spring -- and some live dates from Soundgarden. "We plan on playing shows for sure -- that's never been in question," he says. "Then when we have some time again we'll get back into the studio."

After 13 years apart, Soundgarden reunited in the spring of 2010; they performed a few secret gigs, often billed as the Nude Dragons (an anagram of Soundgarden), then roared back at their first and only public comeback show at Lollapalooza. But no follow-up dates were announced, and speculation about their future ran rampant. "Now what?" SPIN asked in our September cover story. But Cornell says the band's slow return was planned for their longevity -- and success in the studio.

"The main thing that got in the way of us wanting to be in Soundgarden is that long cycle of write, record, promote, release, tour -- then do it all over again," explains Cornell. "It all fit into a schedule and Soundgarden come completely from indie roots. We were a Do It Yourself band that became part of a bigger picture. But we're being really carefully now to do this on our own time."

Are you excited for Soundgarden's comeback album? Tell us in the comment section. For more on Cornell's upcoming solo tour, which kicks off in April, check back to SPIN.com for a full Q&A later this week.